The visitor
I have a pet door for my three cats and sometimes other animals use it to come in and eat their food. That's fine with me, even when it is a possum or squirrel.
Lately, though, we've had a cat visitor and he is undoubtedly the spunkiest and most obstinate cat I've ever seen.
At first he seemed very placid and it was only after he started causing trouble with my cats that I decided that he should be asked to leave.
Sounds easy enough, right? All you have to do is walk toward it and maybe stamp your feet or something. Not so. He stood his ground until I was nearly touching him and then only moved about an inch sideways rather than toward the door. I tried the usual, clapping, shooing, even pushing him with a large sheet of foam board.
He wasn't leaving. He attacked the foam board with vigor and lay on the floor allowing me to push him, then attacking again.
Light bulb! I turned on the vacuum and he was out the door like a shot. That worked three more times, then one day he refused to back down to the vacuum.
I got closer and closer with the hose and he stood there defiantly. I touched it to him and he didn't even blink. I sucked his whiskers into it and he didn't move. I sucked his tail into it and he attacked the hose but didn't go an inch closer to the door.
I was laughing so hard I could barely aim the hose and still he just stood there. He wasn't scared or angry or anything else. He was just determined. He was quite a sight with half of his cheek sucked into the vacuum hose, still standing there just looking at me serenely.
Needless to say, if he learns to get along with my cats he has a home with me. He is a beautiful calico and a great counterpoint to my gray and black cats.
Lately, though, we've had a cat visitor and he is undoubtedly the spunkiest and most obstinate cat I've ever seen.
At first he seemed very placid and it was only after he started causing trouble with my cats that I decided that he should be asked to leave.
Sounds easy enough, right? All you have to do is walk toward it and maybe stamp your feet or something. Not so. He stood his ground until I was nearly touching him and then only moved about an inch sideways rather than toward the door. I tried the usual, clapping, shooing, even pushing him with a large sheet of foam board.
He wasn't leaving. He attacked the foam board with vigor and lay on the floor allowing me to push him, then attacking again.
Light bulb! I turned on the vacuum and he was out the door like a shot. That worked three more times, then one day he refused to back down to the vacuum.
I got closer and closer with the hose and he stood there defiantly. I touched it to him and he didn't even blink. I sucked his whiskers into it and he didn't move. I sucked his tail into it and he attacked the hose but didn't go an inch closer to the door.
I was laughing so hard I could barely aim the hose and still he just stood there. He wasn't scared or angry or anything else. He was just determined. He was quite a sight with half of his cheek sucked into the vacuum hose, still standing there just looking at me serenely.
Needless to say, if he learns to get along with my cats he has a home with me. He is a beautiful calico and a great counterpoint to my gray and black cats.
